Dear Shreveport-Bossier, We Have a Love-Hate Relationship With You [LIST]

Let it be known that we love Shreveport-Bossier, but nobody's perfect.

Shreveport-Bossier is a great place to live. The culture, the food, the traditions... All of these things combined makes me happy to live here. However, as with any relationship, there are things we absolutely love about this area and things that maybe aren't our favorite. We tolerate the not so great because it makes the good parts even better. It's a little Yin and Yang. Balance.

Stick with me, you'll get it.

We Love... Mardi Gras parades

A fabulous tradition that you won't find in just any old town. The community comes together to eat, drink and be merry... not to mention let the good times roll. The tailgating starts early in the day as we mingle with one another before entering into a friendly competition of who can catch the most beads.

We Hate... Leaving Mardi Gras parades

Even if you get yourself a nice spot at the beginning of the route, you will sit in traffic trying to get home. It's funny, we're all friends when we set up for the parade, but then it turns into a wannabe demolition derby leaving. The worst part? You've been in the sun all day perhaps enjoying a few beverages and now, you just want to sleep. It's a terrible combination.

We Love... Crawfish

Another tradition that has a way of bringing everyone together. You eat these little guys with your hands which easily makes everyone get comfortable with one another real quick. My personal favorite part is the rolling out of butcher paper on a table and the lack of utensils. It makes for easy cleanup. Bless you, Shreveport-Bossier, for being crawfish country.

We Hate... Touching our eyes

It's a burn unlike anything you've experienced before. And don't think for a second that you've "washed your hands sufficiently." You've been tossing back crawfish for 45 minutes... That cajun spice is now a part of your flesh. And subsequently, in your tender-loving eyeball. Think about that the next time you make fun of my gloves.

We Love... Defenders of Liberty Air Show

This is, by far, the event I look forward to the most in Shreveport-Bossier. I am a military gal through and through, but again it's all about community. Everyone gathers together on base to stare, mouth agape, into the sky. You immediately feel like a child again as you watch these incredible pilots fly these incredible machines. #Merica

We Hate... Air show sunburns

Want to know if your friends went to the air show? Just look for the lines. Lines from sunglasses, visors, hats, tank tops, T-shirts, mid-calf socks... you name it, we've got the line to go with it. How in the world did the inside of your nostrils get sunburned?! It's typically sunny and hot during the air show and no amount of sunscreen is ever enough to keep you from burning. Yes, even when it's overcast.

We Love... The unofficial air shows

It's pretty much a given that you will see a B-52 flying overhead at least three times a week. When I first moved here, I was driving down Arthur Ray Teague and was able to see the Red River, Shreveport skyline and a big B-52 all in one windshield. It was love at first sight. We get spoiled here seeing all sorts of aircraft flying around our city. Just recently we had a fleet of fighters come in from North and South Carolina. Felt just like May, in October.

We Hate... The potholes you hit watching unofficial air shows

Louisiana roads are bad. They just are. You notice it every time you cross the border coming in from Texas. There's nothing worse than getting lost in watching what's over head and hitting one of those gargantuan potholes. Now your tire is flat, your rim is dented, your axel is wonky, and just for the heck of it, your windshield cracks. Is this Louisiana's way of reminding us to watch the road? Yo, I'm trying to be patriotic over here!

We Love... The proximity

Shreveport-Bossier is a fun place to be with plenty going on every single week, but sometimes we like to get away. It's nice to know that we are close to some pretty nice weekend destinations. Heck, a direct flight out of Shreveport could put you in New Orleans, Las Vegas, Denver, Orlando, etc. And if you know me, I'm a big fan of the weekend trip to Dallas.

We Hate... Some artists haven't figured this out

Or maybe they have... Now that I think about it. We've had some pretty big names come to Shreveport-Bossier and I feel that we are on the upward swing of seeing more of our favorite acts come to town. However, there are still some big names that will just make a stop in Dallas. I get it, it's a big city and yes, we could driver there if we wanted, but you could make our lives easier if you just hopped on over on your own.

I originally wrote this with a "Top 5" theme in mind, but I'll give you a seasonal bonus.

We Love... All the things fall brings

This time of year is the ultimate. From football games to the State Fair of Louisiana. From Halloween to pumpkin spice everything. Fall is a great season in the south.

We Hate... Fall weather doesn't exist

Remember when I listed all the things we love about fall? Well, hope you enjoy doing them all in shorts! We're nearing the end of October and the weather still reaches 80 degrees outside. #NoChill ... Literally.